Diogo Jota dies aged 28: Former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammates pay tribute after tragic passing of Portuguese forward

Ruben Neves has led the tributes from the former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammates of Diogo Jota after the passing of the Liverpool forward at the age of 28 on Thursday.

Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident in Spain after the car that he was driving suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene in the Spanish province of Zamora, leading to widespread tributes from the world of football.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is the latest to react to the death of a player that was signed during his time at the club, admitting that he had been left "heartbroken" by the incident.

That sentiment has been shared by Jota's former club Wolves, and some of his former teammates have taken to social media to share their sadness at the news.

"I will never forget you"

Ruben Neves signed for Wolves at the same time as Jota and has continued to play alongside side for the Portugal national team, the pair having lifted the UEFA Nations League trophy last month.

The Al-Hilal midfielder said: "They say we only lose people when we forget them. I will never forget you!"

Raul Jimenez, now of Fulham, added: "It's hard to receive this kind of news, and I still can't believe it.

"An excellent colleague, friend, and above all, a great father. Thanks for everything, my friend. We'll always remember you. A hug to heaven. R.I.P." 

Barry Douglas, who was part of the same Championship-winning squad as Jota, said: "Absolutely devastated to hear about the sad news of Diogo and his brother.

"Life is cruel and precious at the same time, my deepest condolences go out to his beautiful kids and wife at this tragic time."

Ivan Cavaleiro added: "A huge shock for all of us, lots of strength to the family and friends. Thank you for all these fantastic moments."

Forever a Wolves legend

During a three-year stay with Wolves between 2017 and 2020, Jota contributed 44 goals and 19 assists from 131 appearances in all competitions.

Despite only spending a relatively short period at Molineux, Jota will forever be remembered as a club legend, his goal in the 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the 2018-19 FA Cup semi-finals down as one of the most famous goals ever scored by a Wolves player at Molineux.

Hat-tricks in a 4-3 victory over Leicester City and a Europa League tie against Espanyol will also never be forgotten.

Written by
Darren Plant